







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| What's your plan, Cate? | |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | |
| It sounds important. | |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | |
| What do you do? | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| How is your cat? | |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | |
| Does that help you to believe me? | |
| I'm really sorry about that! | |
| Is that right? | |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | |